


I'm Know I'm Gonna Be With You (So I Take My Time... Are You Ready For It?)

by kycantina



Series: I See How This Is Gonna Go (Touch Me And You'll Never Be Alone) [2]
Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Clairvoyance, Light Angst, Other, s1e1 compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:02:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26515654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kycantina/pseuds/kycantina
Summary: Even in a perfect world, there are no happy endings. In every perfect heist, someone always has to get hurt- you just have to cross your fingers and hope it’s not you.Peter Nureyev can see the future, and he knows he and Juno shouldn't have one (that doesn't mean he won't try.)
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Series: I See How This Is Gonna Go (Touch Me And You'll Never Be Alone) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626826
Kudos: 21





	I'm Know I'm Gonna Be With You (So I Take My Time... Are You Ready For It?)

**Author's Note:**

> the title of this doc for so long was "ruining peter's life haha" and it shows.

Peter Nureyev takes a deep breath and prepares for what he was about to see. He’d had the same vision more times than he could remember, and ever since Mag’s death they’d just come more frequently. A stiff, white envelope from Dark Matters, the name  _ Juno Steel _ printed in small, neat letters. He’d dreamt of Steel before, and failed at not getting attached, despite the all too real futures where he’d ended up at the wrong end of a blaster (sometimes Nureyev’s). There was no doubt in his mind, this particular assignment was going to  _ hurt _ . 

Nureyev uses what time he has to research Steel: years at the HCPD before going private, former twin, and a great shot. He holds onto these small details as tightly as he does Miasma’s list, crumpled in his coat pocket. If he goes into this job (and really, it was nothing more than work) knowing there was no future with this particular detective, it wouldn’t sting as bad when he ended up blind, or dead, or lost to Hiperion.  _ Real thieves don’t get attached _ . It’s a constant reminder, Peter even keeps this particular piece of Mag wisdom on scrap of paper in his pockets, covered in doodles but still visible. 

He only allows himself to enjoy Juno’s company under the pretense that it will never happen again, that after years of faking admiration and attraction he’s allowed to have this one time, allowed to play with his food, as it were. And that’s exactly what it is- a one-time situation. He can’t bear to entangle himself with Juno Steel, for either of their sakes.  _ Juno Steel _ . Stars, Juno could still find ways to surprise him, even after Nureyev’s lived through infinite possibilities of this night. He’d stay here forever if it didn’t mean certain doom for both of them, if it didn’t mean ruining Juno’s life forever. Nureyev was used to death on his doorstep, was used to outrunning whichever creditor was after him now, Juno shouldn’t have to be. And so Nureyev leaves, as quickly as gracefully as he can. 

But he can’t. Peter Nureyev cannot bear to leave Juno with nothing, so he doesn’t. He tells himself that showing his detective a good time is part of the job, that it’s all in the spirit of thievery; artifacts, hearts, what’s the difference? Nureyev is not in the habit of first dates,  _ especially _ in being brought home. He promises himself up and down that this is the first and final time he involves himself with Juno Steel, that all the messiness and melodrama is par for the course when dealing with one-time altercations and anything involving Juno Steel. 

But it’s not, it’s not. Not ever. Peter doesn’t  _ act _ when it comes to Juno, and he feels like he should’ve learned this by now. He knows his lady, has his every future committed to memory. This will end in tears, and probably bloodshed, Nureyev knows this too. He just hopes they have a good time before it all goes down in flames. Peter wants  _ time _ with Juno, he wants more uncertain smiles and clumsy smiles. He’d kill to settle down, to whisk Juno away to some faraway asteroid and waste away in the spaces between Juno’s fingers.  _ Now that’s a vision he’d like to see _ , Nureyev thinks bitterly as he slips out of Steel’s apartment. It would never work in the long term (there’s blood and tears in every possible ending- even the ones with rings and wedding dresses). Even if they got as far as marriage, it would only be a matter of time before Juno smothers him with a pillow or Nureyev disappears out a bedroom window. Even in a perfect world, there are no happy endings. In every perfect heist, someone always has to get hurt- you just have to cross your fingers and hope it’s not you. 

Juno will come around to making the most of the time they have left eventually, he just hopes it’s soon. Peter Nureyev will wait in the meantime, take work when he can find it (and when Miasma demands). Despite all of his best efforts, Peter thinks about Juno constantly, about his hands, cocky and confident with a blaster, uncertain and timid pulling at Nureyev's jacket, fingers tangled in his hair. This isn't the last Peter will see of Juno, he's certain of that. He just hopes, beyond all reason, that it will be okay.


End file.
